Orange Day archive

April 2013

The Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign proclaims every 25th of the month as Orange Day!
The first in a series of Orange Days was launched on 25 July last year. Initiated and led by the UNiTE campaign Global Youth Network, the action strives to highlight the issue of violence against women and girls, not only once a year, on 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women), but every month. Orange Day aims to spark worldwide interest and conversation, highlight the fact that violence against women and girls is a violation of human rights and call for its eradication without reservation, equivocation or delay.

This year we’ll be using our Orange Day actions to highlight recommendations from the agreed conclusions of the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW57) which focused on violence against women and girls. We will start this month by highlighting ‘Safe Work Places for Women and Girls’.

Violence against women in the work place takes place in all countries throughout the world and takes many forms, including sexual harassment and bullying. It affects all professions and sectors and particularly women living in poverty as they are more likely to be exposed to exploitation and abuse in informal labour settings like, for example, women migrant workers.

FAST FACTS

Between 40 and 50 percent of women in European Union countries experience unwanted sexual advancements, physical contact or other forms of sexual harassment at their workplace.

Small surveys in Asia-Pacific countries indicate that 30 to 40 per cent of women workers report some form of harassment – verbal, physical or sexual.

A quarter of women have experienced sexual harassment in the work place in Australia.

Establish a zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of violence at work, including verbal and/or physical abuse and prevent sexual harassment.

Train security staff and managers to recognize signs of violence against women and understand laws and company policies on human trafficking, labour and sexual exploitation.

In consultation with employees, identify and address security issues, including the safety of women travelling to and from work and on company-related business.

ACTION 2: Find out what policies are in place at your work place or university.
Do they fulfill the recommendation in the Women’s Empowerment Principles on ‘Health, Safety and Freedom from Violence’? If there are gaps, what steps can be taken?

ACTION 3: Orange your work place! As long as your employer agrees, wear orange to work or university and encourage your colleagues to do the same to show your support for zero tolerance of violence against women and girls in the work place.

ACTION 4: Tell othersabout Orange Day using social media (in your own words or using the messages below) and encourage them to raise awareness at their workplace. Use & share the photo of the UNiTE Ribbon - the new symbol for ending violence against women and girls. Change your Facebook cover photo to the UNiTE campaign Orange Day cover photo to promote the Orange Day.

Sample tweets

Today is #orangeday! Wear orange & @SayNO_UNiTE to #violenceagainstwomen in the work place! http://owl.li/km1BB

After #CSW57 to #endVAW &girls,UNiTE campaign says:Now words need 2b matched with action! Safe work places for women this #orangeday

25April is #orangeday. End #violenceagainstwomen &girls! Does your work place support @WEPrinciples? http://weprinciples.org v @SayNO_UNiTE

Today is #orangeday! Is your work place a zero tolerance zone for #violenceagainstwomen? http://owl.li/km1BB v @SayNO_UNiTE

Facebook messages
1. Every 25th of the month is Orange Day! After CSW57 on ending violence against women and girls, the UNiTE campaign says: Now words need to be matched with action! All year we will call for the implementation of the CSW agreed conclusions on Orange Day, starting this month with calls for Safe Work Places for Women and Girls.

“Take measures to ensure that all workplaces are free from discrimination and exploitation, violence, and sexual harassment and bullying, and that they address discrimination and violence against women and girls, as appropriate, through measures such as regulatory and oversight frameworks and reforms, collective agreements, codes of conduct, including appropriate disciplinary measures, protocols and procedures, referral of cases of violence to health services for treatment and police for investigation; as well as through awareness-raising and capacity-building, in collaboration with employers, unions and workers, including workplace services and flexibility for victims and survivors” Commission on the Status of Women, 57th session B (yy) p. 9.

2. This Orange Day the UNiTE campaign highlights the global issue of violence against women in the work places and calls upon companies to support the Women’s Empowerment Principles and in particular, to ensure women’s health, safety and freedom from violence at work. Check them out, and don’t forget to wear orange to take a stand! http://weprinciples.org